Discretionary Advice Service
JNCC offers a Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) to all industries working in UK offshore waters to gain nature conservation advice.
The DAS allows developers to engage JNCC early in the licensing process. This ensures appropriate consideration is given to environmental impacts at an early stage, thereby minimising potential complications or costly delays later in the licensing process.
The service includes (but is not limited to) nature conservation advice relating to:
- Field/Site Development or Decommissioning
- Scoping
- Environmental Assessments
- Surveys
- Cable Routes
- Ornithology or Marine Mammal specialist advice
- Developer-led meetings seeking advice
This service is chargeable and charging rates will be set at a level to fully recover our costs. Further information on types of DAS, costs and requesting DAS are outlined below.
If you are unsure whether an advice request is captured by the DAS, please contact OIA@jncc.gov.uk.
NOTE: Developers should engage with the relevant regulator and follow associated guidance during the preparation of any environmental submissions to ensure regulatory requirements are met.
DAS types
To allow flexibility we offer two main types of DAS:
- Discrete DAS: These are requests requiring formal or written advice or a meeting related to a single stand-alone request/activity.
- Long-Term DAS: Where multiple requests/activities are required over a set period, an extended contract can be tailored and setup to support these activities.
How to request our DAS
Discrete DAS
To request our Discrete Discretionary Advice Service (DAS), please complete the DAS request form and follow the instructions for submission within the form. Upon submitting the request you are acknowledging and agreeing with our standard DAS terms and conditions and JNCC's privacy notice.
You will receive a response from JNCC within 10 business days to:
- Confirm or to clarify the scope of the works.
- Agree a quote for the service.
- Agree a timetable for the service.
You will then have a further 10 business days to sign and return the agreement back to us, signalling commencement of works can begin. The agreement includes the quotation and scope of work.
If you require a faster turnaround of advice or a meeting date is within a month of the DAS request form submission, please highlight this clearly within the DAS request form and accompanying emails. JNCC will endeavour to accommodate these as best we can but cannot guarantee this.
Long-term DAS
To request our Long-Term Discrete Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) please contact OIA@jncc.gov.uk.
You will receive a response from JNCC within 10 business days to:
- Further discuss the scope of the works.
- Agree a timetable for the services.
- Agree if invoicing will be periodically issued or at the end of the agreed contract period.
Costs
Our Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) is chargeable and charging rates will be set at a level to fully recover our costs. Charges are exclusive of VAT.
Charges are calculated based on a number of factors including the complexity and scale of the operations, if operations are within protected sites, and if review or engagement of additional specialists is required.
On request of our DAS service an agreement will be issued which includes the quotation and scope of work. Where appropriate, travel and subsistence will be quoted for at JNCC standard rates.
For Long-Term DAS we will capture the number of hours spent for each piece or work across the contract period and this will be invoiced out either periodically or at the end of the contract period as agreed.
If you have a query about our Discretionary Advice Service, please contact OIA@jncc.gov.uk.
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